Authorities with over a dozen local, state and federal agencies made raids on several South Florida pill mills Wednesday morning in one of the largest operations against the illegal enterprises to date.

Officials from the DEA, Broward County Sheriff's Office and several other agencies swept through Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County for the series of raids that resulted in arrests and asset seizures.

Among those arrested was Dr. Zvi Perper, the son of Broward meedical Examiner Dr. Joshua Perper, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Joshua Perper declined comment on the arrest.

The sweep targeted owners, doctors and others involved in their operation, authorities said.

It's unknown how many arrests were made and what charges will be filed. A news conference at the DEA's Miami Field Division Office is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, where more details will be made available.

Law enforcement agencies have made several raids and arrests since the multi-agency prescription drug abuse task force was formed in 2009.

The Cucuy is an ancient North American legend about a phantom-like figure. Unlike the classic American “boogeyman”, the Cucuy presents a moral dilemma for children and parents alike. According to legend, the Cucuy waits behind every shadow and crawls the rooftops of small villages. All children and their parents live in fear of Cucuy because he represents the devil you know as opposed to the one you don’t. Cucuy can only “get you” if you disobey your parents.

Up on the rooftops, Cucuy waits patiently and listens for the sounds of disobedience in the night. He’s much like batman, having his own mobile command of the nighttime landscape; hearing all conversations and aware of every nuance. When a parent gives her child a direct order, Cucuy is listening and his eyes and ears will follow that child long after the parents have ignored them. When they disobey, Cucuy will descend upon them and steal them away into the night.

Children fear the Cucuy because they instinctively know that their own curiosity about life could be the death of them. Parents fear the Cucuy because they know he is a metaphor for a very real threat that has persisted since the dawn of time… The subtle sense of guilt a mother feels when she invokes Cucuy by name is testament to her own complicity in his affairs. Cucuy is a child molester or a human trafficker… and villages around the globe have resigned themselves to hold him up as a keeper of morality.

“Do as you are told and you will be safe from Cucuy,” the parents say – all the while knowing that Cucuy is a hungry beast with little regard for justice or a fair trial. If Cucuy grabs your child in the night, these communities believe it is because you did not raise good children to begin with. They contend that if your child was the type to behave, he or she would not be missing.

It is in this fashion that a village willingly feeds its young to Cucuy. After all, the profession of law enforcement would cease to exist if Cucuy were apprehended quickly. Many careers depend on perpetuating the Cucuy myth and holding communities responsible for their own misfortunes.

It is time for parents, their children and their neighbors all over the world to unite and stand up against this unjust way of framing the issue. We must realize that it does indeed take a village to raise a child and that none should be fed to Cucuy in vain attempts to display moral superiority over our neighbors. We must demand that when Cucuy is spotted, he must be hunted down and locked away for good. No guilt or shame can be placed on children, their concerned guardians or those unfortunate souls who have seen Cucuy in action and wish to testify against him. Cucuy must die first in our minds before his real-life counterparts can see prison time.

My name is Jarrett Terrill and I have seen the Cucuy and his partner. I know where they live and what they look like. I know their names, income levels and who their friends are and how they operate. I have met two men who traffic hardcore, explicit and violent child pornography in which children as young as infants are brutally raped. Over two years ago, I made the decision to turn these men into the authorities – the FBI specifically. I was embraced by the FBI for my Good Samaritan behavior and promised money and justice.

As a confidential informant for the FBI, I penetrated these men’s operation and secured over 30 digital videos of child abuse that was so horrific that I haven’t really slept at night ever since viewing it. From start to finish, I handed the FBI a perfect case with proof beyond all doubt of these men’s guilt. I gave up 5 and a half years of sobriety from drugs and alcohol in my effort to see these men put in prison. I suffer symptoms of what I now believe is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and I am unemployed and in debt.

Money and justice never came and these two real-life monsters are still living freely in my village of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I have been “released” from my CI status with the investigation and cut off from communication with the agents whose responsibility it was to do justice. Case closed.

These men are not stupid and I’m sure that they have figured out who I am and how I got their house raided while they were away on vacation. Because they have financial means far greater than my own, I’ve felt that I’m in danger almost every day since my contact Special Agent stopped taking my calls.

Please help me to advocate that the leadership of South Florida DO SOMETHING and put these men behind bars for the rest of their lives. Your children’s safety could depend on it. These men are quite wealthy and have a team of lawyers… and they just happen to live less than a mile from an elementary school.

I will be presenting my story to the Broward Human Trafficking Coalition at their open meeting at 10AM on March 8, 2011 and leaving myself open to questions at that time. Please join me to seek justice and safety for kids in South Florida. Please also be patient with me because I’m not that great of a public speaker and this takes a lot of courage on my part.

An Oakland Park man has been charged with cruelty to animals after Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives determined that he sexually assaulted his roommate’s small dog.

When 40-year-old Tomas Bautista’s roommate came home Thursday evening, he found Bautista drunk and told him to go to bed. Bautista told his roommate, Clemente Velasquez, that he was going outside instead. Velasquez’s dog, a Chihuahua mix named Mimi, followed Bautista outside. A little while later, Velasquez heard Mimi yelp, so he grabbed a flashlight and ran into the back yard. He saw his dog running from Bautista and found Bautista passed out with his pants down. Mimi was bleeding, so Velasquez notified authorities and took the dog to the Coral Springs Animal Hospital for treatment.

Bautista later told detectives he used his finger to penetrate the dog. He was charged with cruelty to animals, a third-degree felony.

There is no doubt that the improvement of technology in today’s society has greatly benefited law enforcement and our society as a whole. However, improvements in technology have led to a new threat on our roadways – distracted driving.

In an effort to shift the balance of power from politicians to the people they represent, Representative Rick Kriseman (D-St. Petersburg) today filed legislation to permit the recall of state officials.

Florida currently allows for the recall of local elected officials, but there is no provision in state law to allow for the recall of state officials. House Joint Resolution 785 and House Bill 787, both sponsored by Representative Kriseman, would allow the public to recall from office Florida legislators, members of the Florida Cabinet, governor and lieutenant governor.

“Engaged citizens deserve the tools to hold their public servants accountable without having to wait for the next election,” said Representative Kriseman. “Honest and dedicated elected officials will have nothing to fear from the implementation of this important proposal, and I am confident that my colleagues will support its passage.”

HJR 785 allows for a petition to recall a statewide official, requiring signatures be collected from each of the 67 counties, and the signatures equal 15 percent of the total votes cast in the last election for the office. A petition to recall a member of the Florida Legislature would require signatures from 20 percent of the total votes cast in the last election for the office.

If HJR 785 is approved by the Legislature, voters will be asked on the November 2012 General Election ballots to amend the state constitution with the recall provision. House Bill 787 would create a statutory recall provision. Read more....

The Broward Sheriff’s Office is releasing a short clip of drug store surveillance video that may show one of three men who attacked a gay, 24-year-old Tamarac man in late December.

As Mark Samnath, walked past three men smoking in Tamarac Commons Park around 4:30 p.m. Dec. 30, he commented that it smelled like marijuana. The men and Samnath exchanged heated words. The argument escalated, and the trio began threatening Samnath and using derogatory phrases about his sexual orientation. Samnath walked westbound on McNab Road but realized the men were following him. One was pointing a Canon camera at Samnath. At the corner of Northwest 89th Avenue and Northwest 70th Street, two of the men attacked Samnath. They punched and kicked him in the face, all the while using verbal slurs and threats, as the third man appeared to be recording the attack with the camera. Samnath was left with a swollen face with deep cuts and bruises.

“Because it appears this attack was prompted in part by the victim’s sexual orientation, it would be considered a hate crime, according to Florida state statute,” Commander Rick Wierzbicki of BSO’s Hate Crimes Task Force said. “When they are caught, these assailants will face enhanced penalties for their crimes.”

Hate crimes in Florida are defined as criminal acts that ?evidence prejudice? based on race, religion, homelessness, ethnicity, color, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age of victim. Anyone with information about this incident can contact BSO Violent Crimes Unit Detective Dave Lewis at (954) 321-4200 or anonymously report information to Crime Stoppers of Broward County at (954) 493-TIPS (8477).

“Former Mayor Larry Gierer has a passion for public service and will be an advocate for everyone in Oakland Park,” said Parrish. “I am proud to endorse him and am confident he will be a great representative for Oakland Park.”

“I am honored to receive Lori’s endorsement,” Gierer said. “Lori’s energy, personal attention to details, and commitment to providing great public service are examples of the responsible values I will bring to Oakland Park.”

Lori Parrish was elected Broward County Property Appraiser in 2004 and re-elected in 2008. Before serving as Appraiser, Parrish served four years on the Broward County School Board, and in 1988 was elected to the Broward County Commission where she served three times as Chair and was re-elected in 1992, 1996 and 2000.

Parrish joins Mayor Allegra Webb Murphy in endorsing Geirer in his run for Oakland Park Commission.

"At a time when Florida residents will soon be able to access affordable health insurance on their own terms, the decision by Florida to return the money that will help the state implement health insurance reform is just flat wrong.

“The decision by the Governor and the Insurance Commissioner to stop implementing the reforms squarely puts the state on the side of the insurance industry over Florida taxpayers. By denying Floridians the important health reforms enacted in the Affordable Care Act, the state's residents and small businesses would be denied critical new benefits of the law, like protections against insurance industry abuses and new coverage options.

“Without the Affordable Care Act, nearly 3.2 million seniors in Florida who have Medicare coverage would be forced to pay a co-pay to receive important preventive services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, and more than 182,000 individuals on Medicare would see significantly higher prescription drug costs.”

“In Florida, 182,672 Medicare beneficiaries received a one-time, tax-free two-hundred-fifty dollar rebate to help pay for prescription drugs in the `donut hole’ coverage gap in 2010. Medicare beneficiaries who fall into the “donut hole” in 2011 will be eligible for 50-percent discounts on covered brand name prescription drugs.

“Without the law, the burden of high prescription drug costs would hurt millions of Medicare beneficiaries across the country.”

Rep. Mark Pafford, Democratic ranking member of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee

There is no doubt that the improvement of technology in today’s society has greatly benefited law enforcement and our society as a whole. However, improvements in technology have led to a new threat on our roadways – distracted driving.

Dialing numbers on cell phones or typing text messages requires attention that should be paid to the task of driving. There are three main types of distraction: visual (taking your eyes off the road), manual (taking your hands off the wheel) and cognitive (taking your mind off what you are doing). While all distractions can endanger drivers’ and fellow motorists’ safety, texting while driving is the most alarming because it involves all three types of distraction. Shockingly, statistics show that texting while driving is just as dangerous as operating a motor vehicle after four alcoholic beverages. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it is estimated that nearly 6,000 people were killed on our nation’s roadways last year and more than 440,000 were injured as a result of distracted driving.

These statistics are staggering and in response the Broward Sheriff’s Office, State Representatives, the Florida Sheriffs Association and local business leaders are working together to support an initiative before the Florida Legislature to institute a law that prohibits the operation of a motor vehicle while using a wireless communications device. The law, also known as the “Florida Ban on Texting while Driving Law”, will improve roadway safety for motor vehicle operators, passengers, bicyclists, pedestrians and all other roadway users. It will also provide law enforcement with the tools necessary to enforce and curb this disturbing roadway hazard. To date, 36 states have enacted legislation banning the use of wireless communication devices while driving – I am hopeful that the great State of Florida will be the 37th!

The Broward Sheriff’s Office has also launched a large-scale public safety campaign to remind motorists of the dangers of texting while driving. Through our 30-second public safety message featured on local cable channels, our STOP texting magnets distributed throughout the community, and our prevention messages posted on busses rolling across Broward County, we are getting the word out that this dangerous trend must come to an end.

It is clear that the dangers of texting while driving are serious. A life is more precious than taking a call or responding to a text message. It is imperative that we put the safety of others above our own need to access technology.

The men and women of the Broward Sheriff's Office are committed to keeping you and your family safe. If you find yourself reaching for your cell phone while driving, take a second to think about the dangers you are putting yourself and others in before you pick up the phone. Ask yourself, is it really worth it?

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Ron Mills

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About Me

I am progressive. I am liberal. I make no apologies. I believe government has an obligation to create an even playing field for all of this country's citizens and immigrants alike. I am not a socialist. I do not seek enforced equality. However, there has to be equality of opportunity, and the private sector, left to its own devices, will never achieve this goal. This site is for Liberals and progressives news and commentary.- Ron Mills 954-394-4980 Ron@RonMills.us